Big Ears Festival

[BFrank]

15 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Annette Peacock: 10:30-11:45, Tennessee Theater, Saturday.

 

Prime time!

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Meredith Monk and Sparks are the must-not-miss events for me. Anything with Andrew Cyrille, too.  Have to make a lot of sacrifices, though.  Diatom Ribbons is at the exact same time as a Meredith Monk performance though.  I've somehow missed Kris Davis anytime she has played live in my vicinity. One year I was in New York and saw she was performing at the Stone. When I got there I was informed she was stuck in traffic or something and couldn't make it.  

[kh1958]

2 hours ago, Hoppy T. Frog said:

Meredith Monk and Sparks are the must-not-miss events for me. Anything with Andrew Cyrille, too.  Have to make a lot of sacrifices, though.  Diatom Ribbons is at the exact same time as a Meredith Monk performance though.  I've somehow missed Kris Davis anytime she has played live in my vicinity. One year I was in New York and saw she was performing at the Stone. When I got there I was informed she was stuck in traffic or something and couldn't make it.  

Diatom Ribbons plays two sets on Friday. And Kris Davis is also in Trefoil, which plays two sets on Thursday.

[BFrank]

I've seen Diatom Ribbons before. Definitely worth seeing, and I'm hoping to catch the 2nd set. Also Val Jeanty (who's in the group) has her own show on Saturday. But she's up against Nubya Garcia and Meredith Monk/Bang on a Can.

[Jason Bivins]

Starebaby night one is a must for my crew. But as always, TOUGH decisions.

[kh1958]

The detailed schedule has been updated and expanded on the Big Ears website. In addition, the Big Ears App has been updated for the 2022 festival. And, the festival is now sold out.

Edited March 1, 2022 by kh1958

[BFrank]

Three weeks!

[randyhersom]

I thought I had seen something that changed the original statement that wristbands would be mailed two weeks before the festival (from ticket purchase email).  I want to make sure I and everyone else arrives in Knoxville with everything they need to enjoy the festival.  Does anyone have the details on what you need to present at the festival office to get your wristbands?

[kh1958]

All festival attendees will pick up credentials and wristbands at the Big Ears Festival headquarters, located at the Jackson Avenue Terminal (213 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902).

Patrons will need to show receipt or proof of purchase from Front Gate Tickets (the festival’s ticketing vendor) along with a valid photo ID, as well as proof of COVID vaccination or negative PCR test for COVID-19 received within 48 hours of picking up wristbands. Everyone for whom you purchased passes must also be present with photo ID and proof of vaccination or negative PCR test to claim their wristband. No one will be permitted to enter any Big Ears venues or ticketed events without first completing this process and securing a wristband.

Passes are required for patrons ages 2 and older. Big Ears does not offer tickets to individual shows during the festival weekend.

[kh1958]

 

 

Updating schedule. Some painful choices.

Thursday:

6:00-7:00: Dos Santos, Tennessee Amphitheater

7:30-8:30: Damon Locks, Tennessee Ampitheater

9:00-10:00: Trefoil, Old City PAC

11-12: Theon Cross, Old City PAC

Friday:

1:00-2:00: Craig Taborn Trio, Bijou

2:30-3:30: Harriet Tubman, Mill and Mine

4:00-5:00: Jeff Parker and the New Breed, The Standard

6:45-8:00: Sons of Kemet, Mill and Mine

9:15-10:00: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Boyd's Jig and Reel

11-12:15: Jason Moran, Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan, Biran Blade: Bijou 

Saturday:

12:00-1:00: John Zorn (Bill Frisell/Julian Lage/Gyan Riley), Bijou

1:30-2:45: Christian Scott, Mill and Mine

3:45-5:00: Nubya Garcia, Mill and Mine

5:30-6:30: Sarah Davachi, St. John's

8:00-9:00: Jason Moran, Bijou

11:00-12:00: Gyan Riley, Old City PAC

Sunday:

12-1: Alabaster  dePlume, The Standard

2:30-3:30: Marc Ribot, St. John's

4:15-5:30: Odean Pope and Immanuel Wilkins, The Standard

6:45-8:00: Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet, The Standard

8-9: George, Old City PAC

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by kh1958

[BFrank]

I still haven't been able to face up to putting a schedule together. The hardest part for me will be logistics. Especially when it involves a trek between the Bijou/Tennessee Auditoriums and the Standard/Mill & Mine clubs. I'm hoping that the shuttle bus situation will be a little more reliable this year.

[kh1958]

11 hours ago, BFrank said:

I still haven't been able to face up to putting a schedule together. The hardest part for me will be logistics. Especially when it involves a trek between the Bijou/Tennessee Auditoriums and the Standard/Mill & Mine clubs. I'm hoping that the shuttle bus situation will be a little more reliable this year.

The one thing I don't like about this festival is that they tend to schedule my musical preferences in the Standard/Mill and Mine. I don't want to stand for concerts.

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Not to humblebrag, but I laid out the big bucks so I don't have to stand at those places anymore (although they are not ideal, I remember that they were only folding chairs). Got fat and tired the last two years.  

[kh1958]

1 hour ago, Hoppy T. Frog said:

Not to humblebrag, but I laid out the big bucks so I don't have to stand at those places anymore (although they are not ideal, I remember that they were only folding chairs). Got fat and tired the last two years.  

I paid for the "Premiere" pass, not the Sonic Explorer pass, so no seats for me at the Mill and Mine or the Standard.

[kh1958]

Many cities in Tennessee are now considered “low” for COVID-19 community levels, according to the newly released map Thursday, March 10, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Knox County’s COVID-19 level has been declining and is now considered “low.” Just two weeks ago the county was considered to be at a “high” level. According to the CDC, levels can be low, medium or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

Multiple counties surrounding Knox County are now considered low as well after being high two weeks ago and medium a week ago. Claiborne, Hawkins, Sullivan, Washington, Unicoi, and Carter counties remain at a high level. Cocke, Morgan, Scott, and Campbell are holding at the medium level.

[BFrank]

12 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Many cities in Tennessee are now considered “low” for COVID-19 community levels, according to the newly released map Thursday, March 10, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Knox County’s COVID-19 level has been declining and is now considered “low.” Just two weeks ago the county was considered to be at a “high” level. According to the CDC, levels can be low, medium or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

Multiple counties surrounding Knox County are now considered low as well after being high two weeks ago and medium a week ago. Claiborne, Hawkins, Sullivan, Washington, Unicoi, and Carter counties remain at a high level. Cocke, Morgan, Scott, and Campbell are holding at the medium level.

Excellent! I haven't looked for a couple weeks, so that's a BIG improvement.

[randyhersom]

I went budget this year.  Did Premiere last time but this has been a year of unexpected expenses.

[kh1958]

BIG EARS OPENS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

Yes, next Thursday, March 24, marks the return of Big Ears. Festivities begin at 4:00pm when Kronos Quartet, then Sō Percussion, open the festival with free concerts at the Tennessee Amphitheater at World’s Fair Park. It will have been 3 years to the day since the final notes of Big Ears 2019 faded away into the atmosphere. We’re thrilled to be back!

REMINDERS & THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

While you should find answers to most—hopefully all—of your questions at bigearsfestival.org, here’s some especially helpful information and tips as you plan for your visit: Festival Headquarters will be at the Jackson Terminal, located 213 W. Jackson Ave at Gay Street (near The Standard and The Mill & Mine).   Everyone attending Big Ears must show proof of vaccination or negative PCR test within 48 hours of entry at the festival. We are fortunate that our region—and the country—has experienced a dramatic decline in Covid-19 infections in the past few weeks, and numbers continue to improve daily. CDC guidelines now have Knox County in a LOW risk category, with guidance that mask-wearing be optional. While we strongly recommend that you wear masks indoors at Big Ears, it will not be required for members of the audience.   We reserve the right to require that everyone wear masks for specific presentations, whether at the request of an artist or simply out of prudence. Please come prepared to mask in these instances.   You—and each member of your party—must pick up your festival wristbands at Festival Headquarters before you can attend any Big Ears concerts or events (except the free outdoor shows). You must have your receipt/proof of purchase from Front Gate or LYTE, proof of vaccination or negative PCR test administered within 48 hours of entry, and a photo ID matching both. This policy will be strictly enforced. You can find more information on the frequently asked questions page of our website: bigearsfestival.org/faq   Your wristband is your passport to the festival and provides assurance that you have submitted required documentation in compliance with Covid protocols. Guard it carefully. It should not be removed during the weekend. Cut or damaged wristbands will not be honored.   Festival Headquarters will open from 4:00pm until 9:00pm on Wednesday, March 23, for locals and anyone arriving in Knoxville early. We strongly encourage you to register and pick up your wristbands as early as possible. For the festival weekend, box office hours are: Thursday          12:00pm – 10:00pm Friday               10:00am – 10:00pm Saturday           10:00am – 10:00pm Sunday             10:00am –  8:00pm   Printed schedules and maps for the festival will be available when you check in.   Download the Big Ears Festival app. It will be an invaluable source of information. In addition to offering up-to-date details about the festival schedule and more, there will be notifications throughout the festival weekend of some surprise shows, last-minute modifications to the schedule, notifications if any of the shows / venues are at or nearing capacity, and other information and news during the weekend.   Big Ears venues vary widely in capacity, from 230 people at the Old City Performing Arts Center to 1600 at the Tennessee Theatre, and some venues/spaces—like the Green Room at Festival Headquarters, Boyd’s Jig & Reel, and the Pilot Light—are even smaller and more intimate. While we schedule concerts and programs to optimize both attendance and access, once a venue reaches capacity, you will not be allowed to enter unless and until someone leaves. We strongly encourage you to arrive at least 30-45 minutes early for any of the absolute “must-see” concerts on your schedule to avoid possible disappointment.   At the heart of Big Ears is a spirit of adventure, exploration, and discovery. Every year of the festival we get feedback from many who find that the most exciting and rewarding highlights of their weekend came from serendipitous, unanticipated performances. Enjoy!

[randyhersom]

I have decided I will be having my breakfasts at Shoney's across the river.  PM me here if you're interested in joining me.

 

[Chuck Nessa]

Sorry to be missing this one. Hopefully next year.

Happy breakfasts Randy.

[kh1958]

THEON CROSS

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, Theon Cross has had to cancel his solo performance on Thursday evening at the festival. However, Theon will be performing with Sons of Kemet on Friday night at the Mill & Mine.

GYAN RILEY

We are also sad to report that Gyan Riley will be unable to join us at Big Ears this weekend, which means that the performance of John Zorn’s Nove Cantici Per Francesco D’Assisi with Julian Lage and Bill Frisell on Saturday at the Bijou, as well as Gyan Riley ELIXIR on Saturday evening at the OCPAC, must be canceled as well.

BRIAN MARSELLA TRIO

In place of Nove Cantici Per Francesco D’Assisi, pianist Brian Marsella’s Trio with drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist Trevor Dunn will be playing the music of John Zorn.

ELECTRIC NEW MASADA

An additional change, John Zorn will conclude his Big Ears’ residency on Sunday evening with a performance of Electric New Masada, replacing the 9pm performance of the New Masada Quartet at the Bijou. The Electric New Masada line up will be:              John Zorn, sax          Bill Frisell, guitar           Julian Lage, guitar         John Medeski, organ            Brian Marsella, piano           Trevor Dunn, electric bass           Kenny Wollesen, drums            Ches Smith, drums         Kenny Grohowski, percussion

[kh1958]

Returned from the Big Ears Festival. What a great experience that was! Over the four days, I heard 20 complete sets.

Day 1: Dos Santos, Damon Locks' Black Monument Ensemble (with Ben Lamar Gay and Angel Bat Dawid); Trefoil (Kris Davis, Gerald Cleaver, Ambrose Akinmusire); Joe Henry's 117th Dream (with Jason Moran and Marc Ribot).

Day 2: Craig Taborn Trio (with Tomeka Reid and Ches Smith); Harriet Tubman; Kris Davis' Diatom Ribbons; Julian Lage Trio; Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses; Music of Ron Miles (Jason Moran, Brian Blade, Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan).

Day 3: Brian Marsella Trio Plays John Zorn; Yasmin Williams; Layla McCalla; Jason Moran (Solo piano); Angel Bat Dawid and Sistazz of the Nitty 

Gritty.

Day 4: Alabaster dePlume (with Jaime Branch); Marc Ribot Plays Franz Cassius; Odean Pope and Immanuel Wilkins; Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet; and GEORGE (John Hollenbeck, Aurora Nealand, Anna Weber, Chiquita Magic).

A few observations: The Bijou Theater is just a fantastic venue for music. The Joe Henry set was an unexpected delight. Jason Moran's solo concert was perhaps the best set i heard at the festival. Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses at the small venue Jig and Reel was the swingingest set I heard. The Ron Miles band set was really beautiful. Yasmin Williams is a mind-blowing guitar player (not jazz). Odean Pope still sounds great at 83. That Ambrose Akinmusire is a monster trumpet player and his group (with Sam Harris Piano and Linda Oh on bass) was superb live. I only went to one of the many John Zorn focused concerts, but I must admit it was quite good. Zorn did not play, but was sitting on the floor on the side of the stage, smiling and looking very happy with the performance. Kris Davis is quite an interesting pianist; I need more music by her. The Julian Lage set was way better than I expected. It is impossible to see everything one wants to see at this festival.

Edited March 31, 2022 by kh1958

[randyhersom]

Day 1

I made a navigational error compounded by other errors and managed to miss Kronos and So Percussion.  I checked in at the hotel desk and went straight to the line for Patti Smith.  Both of her sets were excellent, and different.  People Have The Power is an anthem for our times and closed the sets both Thursday and Friday.  Thursday she had only two band members with her, including her son, and included poetry readings on several occasions.  Friday was a tight and committed rock and roll band. 

Next was Trefoil's first set, in progress.  There's something mathematical about Kris Davis' playing, feeling more kinship with Anthony Braxton than Coltrane or Ayler.  Good, and not unemotional, but architectural.  Gerald Cleaver made the strongest impression on me in this set.  I got to move up the the front row for the second set and they announce it was being recorded, so please turn of phones.  Both Davis and Ambrose Akinmusire turned it up a notch for this set, and I look forward to the chance to hear it again.

Joe Henry was quite good.  I was unfamiliar with his work, and the presence of Jason Moran in his band was the deciding factor in choosing to see him, but I'll be checking out his work more.

More soon ....

 

[kh1958]

11 minutes ago, randyhersom said:

 

Next was Trefoil's first set, in progress.  There's something mathematical about Kris Davis' playing, feeling more kinship with Anthony Braxton than Coltrane or Ayler.  Good, and not unemotional, but architectural.  Gerald Cleaver made the strongest impression on me in this set.  I got to move up the the front row for the second set and they announce it was being recorded, so please turn of phones.  Both Davis and Ambrose Akinmusire turned it up a notch for this set, and I look forward to the chance to hear it again.

Joe Henry was quite good.  I was unfamiliar with his work, and the presence of Jason Moran in his band was the deciding factor in choosing to see him, but I'll be checking out his work more.

More soon ....

 

I heard the second Trefoil set also. I preferred the other Kris Davis band.

Agreed as to Joe Henry.

[randyhersom]

Craig Taborn trio starts Day Two in fine fashion.  Ches Smith really impressed me playing with Roscoe Mitchell at a previous Big Ears, and Tomeka Reid was a great fit as well.  Craig supplemented his piano with some electronics which was done well.  I heard some audience members pronouncing the set superior to the 2019 duets with Vijay Iyer, I'd call them about equal.

Harriet Tubman is next.  The sheer force of the amplified bass dominates the impression, I'm a Brandon Ross fan and enjoy his guitar playing.  The best moment is actually when they check Brandon's voice mike in the soundcheck and he gets off a great couplet, expressing sympathy with the mothers of the Russians, then noting that "something needs flushing".  But the set itself was fine.

I arrive in time for Kris Davis Diatom Ribbons set.  Her taste in drummers is once again confirmed, as Teri Lynne Carrington is at the kit.  Voice processing electronics are a big part of the set and are a big audience pleaser.  I don't have the clear preference for this band that kh1958 had, but liked the set just fine.

Now I head for the first Andrew Cyrille duet set with Ambrose Akinmusire.  Utterly brilliant.  Unfortunately I missed the first part.  For the encore, after determining that he has permission from "the cops" he walks around his kit playing from the outside before taking a seat to finish up.

I have been schooled on the long lines and decide to get in line for Patti Smith II instead of trying for a part of the second Diatom Ribbons set.  It looks like this was the right move.  Patti's even better with the full band.  She speaks highly of Kim Gordon, and I decide to start around for that set instead of checking out Aurora Nealand.  I'm not familiar with any of the material.  Videos are used well, first an animation of a triangle drawing geometric patterns, then a city travelogue.  Big prerecorded loops of industrial riffs are used a lot and the trio rock hard on top of them.  Not my go-to style, but an OK diversion. 

Unfortunately I stick with it too long and the Frisell/Moran tribute to Ron Miles has 40ish people outside 15 minutes after show time.  I know this means "one out, one in" and I liked what I heard of Mdou Moctar on Amazon Music, so I head for the Mill and Mine for their set.  The guitarist plays brilliant, ecstatic lines, but the band as a whole is a little too wooden rhythmically for my taste.  I stay for the whole set.

Day 3 begins with one of the two twin highlights of the festival, Myra Melford's Snowy Egret.  I'm pleasantly surprised to hear Cuong Vu announced.  I have heard the albums but didn't pay much attention to credits.  It turns out the recently deceased Ron Miles was a member of Snowy Egret, and also that Liberty Ellman just had a hand injury so they are playing as a quartet.  Passionate playing from Myra and Cuong and I like the chopsy electric bassist and new drummer (I also didn't know that Tyshawn Sorey was in Snowy Egret for the albums).

The distance of the walk to see Ches Smith makes me choose a full set of Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah over a part set of Ches.  No regrets, he talks quite a bit but I like what he's saying about the jazz tradition, he really talks up his band, and the muscular McCoy influenced band is very enjoyable.  Nubya Garcia is up next, She's solid, it's great that what we used to call spiritual jazz is finding a good audience, but it's not very adventurous.

I leave early for Zorn's Simulacrum featuring John Medeski.  It's more prog-rock than jazz, extreme organ and guitar virtuosity, but the rhythm is anything but wooden, a real trio.  I loved it, and want to hear the 2015 album it came from.

Now is Andrew Cyrille and Marc Ribot.  More brilliance, I like Ribot better here than anywhere else I have heard him.  But I have decided to leave this set early for Jason Moran's solo set, and do so.

Moran's set is the other highlight of the festival for me.   He talks a bit about how the difficulties of the pandemic and how New York is dying a little.  He starts out with a nice standard, then namechecks his teacher Jaki Byard announcing the next tune.  A little later on he reads some Toni Morrison about how there are different shades of black, leading to the phrase "it might as well be a rainbow" then begins a composition inspired by the words.  At some point the lights change so that you only see his hands, as he plays a rumbling low ostinato with the sustain pedal down that changes only very subtly.  Then the light on his hands goes away and the stage is entirely dark.  there are lights from the back of the theater so you can see the people in rows ahead of you, but you can't see Jason at all.  The deep rumbling keeps going on for a long time in the dark, then other shades are explored as the lights come back up.  Brilliantly dramatic, and fully musical.

I'm getting lucky with the shuttles and catch the beginning of Jaimie Branch's Fly or Die.  I'm surprised by her appearance, but enjoy the punk and protest aspects of her set, expressed vocally, as well as her trumpet playing.  I leave early, and that was a mistake in retrospect.

Annette Peacock is playing solo at the Tennessee theater, with piano and string synthesizer and a drum machine on some tracks.  I first heard her during my prog-rock days, but this set is what I think of as a "chanteuse" style.  The lyrics are torchy but the vocals are reserved.  She's a good singer but there's not much variety.  On the last track the "drum machine" turns out to be a tape loop including bass, and then she walks off stage while the tape loop is still playing her voice, and it's clearly not coming from her.  Clever, but expressing some distance from the audience.

I head back to the Standard which has no seating options unless you paid 3x for the VIP pass.  I saw Melford and Cyrille/Ribot here.  Joshua Abrams Information Society is very good and just what I expected, entrancing long jams where the horn plays background and the bass and drum instruments shine out front.  They did start about 30 minutes later than scheduled.  Unfortunately I'm not up for standing the whole set and leave early, but no fault to the fine musicians, and I'm glad I came to hear them

The next morning I get in a traffic jam that keeps me from hearing another Zorn act at noon, and before I hear a single note, I learn of a minor emergency at home that I need to start home early to deal with.  Big Ears has lived up to its reputation and I'm OK with leaving it under the circumstances, but ready to come back next year.